Healthcare, Senior Living, Economics
Wisconsin’s new budget creates significant new healthcare tax levels as a means of raising additional Federal matching dollars. This flawed economic approach will only serve to raise the costs of healthcare for every consumer in the state while not directly providing the reimbursement relief touted.
Ten SNF industry trends that will impact the industry financially and operationally in 2009 and 2010.
Creating the right “next generation” environment requires a complete re-visioning of the convetional senior housing model. Incorporating new design elements within the space is not only mandatory in new environments but critical in existing environments as well. Most assuredly, lifesytle issues will bear far more weight on the success or failure of any new or existing project as the next generation of seniors migrate or downsize from their homes to a specialized environment.
On Monday I wrote about the abyss that is the current state of healthcare reform in Washington – the enormous black hole that the U.S. will certainly fall in if we as a nation, progress along the path chosen by Mr. Obama and his party. Succinctly put, the expense of Federalizing healthcare in the U.S. combined … Read more
Fresh off an oversea tour and a visit to France no less, the President returns promising to become more engaged and agressive in getting his healthcare plan passed; ideally says he, by this summer. The reasons Mr. Obama proffers are many and urgent. Chief among the reasons is that the system (healthcare) is broke (and … Read more
With the economy the way it is and the real estate market not quite into “recovery” mode as of yet, many senior housing projects are struggling to find their footing and thus, achievedesired occupancy levels. This is particularly true of projects that have entry fees or endowments as part of their pricing or where monthly … Read more
A while back I wrote about the annual/bi-annual shell game that is perpetrated in Wisconsin with the Medicaid program – specifically, the SNF funding and reimbursement components thereto. Now that the Joint Finance Committee of the Legislature has completed its budget process, we can see, fully exposed, how much of the shell game has really … Read more
Here we go again, another round of the bi-annual Medicaid shell game to theoretically increase Medicaid SNF rates in Wisconsin. If you aren’t familiar with this trick, watch closely because the moving parts are designed to confuse you – hence the illusion. The trick starts with the State having a continuing budget deficit overall. Don’t … Read more
Hospice Update – Spring 09 Overview Commencing with its June 2004 report to Congress, MedPAC (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission) has been trending a series of reform recommendations to the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The Hospice benefit remains essentially intact along with its payment system since its inception in 1983. Originating from a demonstration program … Read more